


Parents

by Uniasus



Series: In the Company of Others [7]
Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Found Family, Gen, I mean, Jack actually got stuck with them but he makes it work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:47:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23075728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uniasus/pseuds/Uniasus
Summary: Almost a year after Jack woke up after Mother Nature's curse, he's got one question for her.
Series: In the Company of Others [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/61617
Comments: 6
Kudos: 77





	Parents

**Author's Note:**

> This, my readers, is the last piece in this series. I just couldn't let it lie without some type of conclusion between Mother Nature and Jack.

Mother Nature wasn’t being very subtle. For the past few months, when he was out training with Old Man Winter, Jack sensed her nearby. It made Old Man slightly uneasy, he hurried them through whatever region they were in.

Old Man Winter, like the Guardians, was wary of Mother.

They had reasons for it, of course. She had a history of violence, and a history of violence against Jack in particular, but something about the way she hovered made Jack dismiss her as a threat.

If she wanted to do something to him, she would have done it by now. No amount of protection the Guardians or Old Man Winter could provide would get in the way of that.

"Maybe I should escort you to North’s," Old Man suggested.

Jack crossed his arms and frowned. It was the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. The end of Jack’s assigned training time with Old Man and he had plans for his free time. Visit Burgess, then harass the other Guardians. They’d grumble a bit, but it was good-natured fun. Magic cores, Jack learned, didn’t just have an effect on humans. They could work on spirits as well.

Tooth called him a breath of fresh air, a break from the monotony of what her work could be, and since then he made a point of leaving every spirit he talked to happier than Jack found them. He had a few ideas he wanted to try on Bunny this month.

"I don’t want to go to North’s yet," Jack answered. "I want to do what I can here before it gets too hot."

Old Man huffed. "Then I’ll escort you to the Tooth Palace. Or the Warren."

Jack rolled his eyes. "I don’t need your protection. Besides," Jack turned his head northwest, where they could feel Mother’s power radiating from, "I think she just wants to talk."

"What makes you say that?"

Jack shrugged. "You know Mother, she demands things and she can take either of us easily. But she’s just been getting our attention and I think it’s her way nicely saying she wants something. It can’t be work-related, she’d already tell us. So, she has something to say." 

Old Man scoffed, but he gave the idea thought. "You want us to go say hi?"

They both turned their heads northwest.

"I think," Jack said slowly, "that whatever she wants to say she doesn’t want to say to both of us."

"An apology, maybe."

Jack snorted. "Does Mother do that?"

"She might. She can be kind, Jack. We’ve both seen that."

Jack nodded, remembering the few decent encounters he’d had with her. An introduction in Russia. Milk and explanations in her treehouse. Releasing him from warped wood when he cried after being told he hadn’t been created to be a Guardian. He wouldn’t call them kind moments, especially compared to how the Guardian’s acted, but for Mother? Yeah, those times had been kind.

"Huh," he said. He wasn’t sure he wanted an apology, but he did want clarification.

"If I go talk to her, are you going to follow me?" Jack asked his teacher.

"Probably." Old Man shrugged, the icicles on his beard tinkling.

Oh, he’d follow alright. And probably contact one of the Guardians too. As much as Jack was glad 90% of his family got along, they could be super annoying and overprotective. He knew he’d been sick and wasn’t 100% yet, but he had recovered half his belief base. Was as strong as he was when Pitch Black attacked. He could take care of himself easily.

Still, it was nice to know his family looked out for him.

"Just make sure you follow far enough back to not eavesdrop. I’m sure Mother wouldn’t like that. See you in six months, Old Man."

"Jack, wait-"

Too late. The wind had already lifted Jack high into the sky and carried him away.

And to his left, he felt Mother Nature move to follow.

* * *

She didn't catch up to him right away. Jack took his time heading to Burgess from the Florida panhandle, cutting first east to the coast then due west into Pennsylvania. Mother Nature's presence got stronger, and as Jack landed in the small park near the Bennett household, she already stood there waiting.

She was dressed for spring, her gown the brown of soil muddied by snowmelt, her bracelets made of budding thin branches. Absently, Jack wondered if one day he'd be able to change his own appearance. Not that he didn't like his deerskin pants, but they were pushing 350 years and it was only magic that held them together. Hmmm, maybe ice crystals in his hair like Cupcake used to like.

"Do you miss him?"

Jack didn't have to ask who Mother was referring too. Both of them were staring straight at the Bennet house.

Jamie Bennet had been Jack's brother. Jack had slept in the garage freezer, helped the kid with homework, attended Easter dinner. But then he'd left for seven years. Now, Jamie was away at college along with all of his friends. Sophie was focused on her part-time job and school.

He hadn't talked about it to anyone. The pain he felt coming back here to find his brother gone. His brother's _belief_ gone. Jack knew it would have happened eventually, but he'd wanted more time with Jamie. Wanted to watch him grow. Now, Jack didn't even know what school Jamie attended. 

"Yes," Jack said.

Mother didn't say anything else.

"When I was new," Jack began a minute later, "I used to talk to the Man in the Moon. Ask him questions. He never talked to me until this past decade though."

"Hmm," Mother Nature said.

"But I bet you talk to him." Jack placed both hands on the top of his shepherd's crock and turned to look at Mother Nature, who gazed around the park. "You have your whole labyrinth thing. Doesn't it help you talk to them?"

"I don't talk to the Man in the Moon, I talk to Gaia. Mother Earth."

"Oh. That makes sense. What do you talk about?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Hmmm, I think it does."

Mother Nature finally looked at Jack. "What I do has no link to you."

"Yeah, it's the other way around, isn't it?" Jack ran a hand through his hair. "You're either making decisions on your own, or talking to Gaia, about how you want the weather and Earth to behave and give the appropriate assignments. What I do is very much up to you. But what I do doesn't roll back up to you. Except…"

"Except what?" she snapped.

"I think you're lonely. I think you've been lonely for years. Maybe Gaia could tell. Maybe you told her. Maybe you even asked or wished for someone who didn't die on you. And to fix that, Manny and Gaia made me."

"Don't be ridiculous." Mother Nature narrowed her eyes and Jack felt the sudden drop in air pressure that heralded a storm.

Jack shrugged. "It's just a theory. But you've said it before. Elementals are born and die, just like all living things. Except you. And now me."

"You're a freak, Jack Frost. Just like the rest of the Guardians."

"Maybe. But I'm the one elemental in the whole world who won't die after a few centuries. And I'm sure, one day, the Guardians will die too. You can't expect Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny to be cultural fixtures for all of eternity. But winter? Life? We're stuck with each other."

Jack kicked the bottom of his staff, popping it up to rest on his shoulder. "But you knew this already."

Mother Nature picked at a bud bracelet. "Yes."

"Aren't you, aren't you happy? You don't have to be lonely anymore. Neither of us will be. I'll have you, and you'll have me."

"You're not what I wanted, Jack." Mother's words were accompanied by a rumbled of thunder and Jack quickly side-stepped just in case she was prepping a lightning bolt too.

"Well, I didn't want that either. But I'll deal. I get to spread snow and joy, play with children, forever. I can't be sad about that."

"The children truly make you happy?"

"Yes. And you? Doesn't having someone to spend eternity with make you happy?"

Mother gave him a blank stare, but there was no lightning strike. No thunder. The clouds were moving away swiftly.

"It doesn't make me angry," she said.

Jack beamed at her. It was a start. His beginnings with the Guardians were rough too. He thought Tooth was ignoring him, that Bunny hated him, Sandy was an asshole, and North a little stuck up. They got through it though. Became a family. He'd even melted Old Man Winter's heart a little bit; he'd stopped showing off and turned into an actual teacher, an actual father.

One day, maybe Mother Nature could be like Mrs. Bennet. Kind, caring, supportive. Things Jack always believed a mother should be.

But that was for the future. And for now, he'd take not being attacked.

Jack waited around. Wondering, and a small bit hoping, for an apology from Mother Nature. She would never outright say "I'm sorry" but –

"If it makes you happy, you can play with the children all you like."

"Thanks, Mother."

She made a shooing motion with her hand. "Go play. Spread joy, or whatever you do during Guardian time."

Jack laughed. "I'll start here." He had the wind lift him up, and when he was safely out of catching range, hit Mother Nature in the shoulder with a magic snowball. Then, he fled. He had a feeling Mother Nature wouldn't be happy with him when the magic wore off, but she deserved to feel good for a while. And one day, he'd make her smile without the use of magic.

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to those who stuck through this series, especially with how slow updates to "Inviting Mother" were at times! Don't be strangers now - come say hi on Tumblr! I'm [ Uniasus ](uniasus.tumblr.com) there too.


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